Processing stations for an electrophotographic information printer

Claim 1

An electrophotographic information printer, particularly for use in connection with electronic data and word processing systems, said printer having a number of processing stations comprising a photoconductor station (9) with an electrostatically chargeable, movable photoconductor (8); an imaging station (3) in optical information transfer relation to the photoconductor station (9); a developer station (10) with a toner development system and a toner cleaning station (13) arranged in operative relation to the photoconductor station (9); an image transfer station (16) arranged in operative relation to the photoconductor station (9) for transferring a toner image on the photoconductor (8) to a sheet-shaped printing material; a first advancing station (17) arranged between the image transfer station and a supply of printing material; a fixation station (23) for permanently affixing a toner image to the printing material; and a second advancing station (21) arranged between the image transfer station (16) and the fixation station (23), characterized in that processing stations (9, 10, 13, 17, 21, 23) having mechanical movement functions are designed as separate replaceable modules for insertion into an apparatus housing (1, 2) and each have its own independent driving means (24-26) in the form of an electronic stepping motor and that the modules are provided with external connectors in the form of connection plugs (27-29) for direct insertion into terminal connections (30-32) in a coupling unit (33), said terminal connections being connected, on one hand, to an operating voltage source (34) for supplying operating voltages to each module and, on the other hand, a common programme-controlled unit (35) for controlling the operative cooperation of the modules.